Eagles playing a 'dangerous' verbal game, says Carlton's Zach Tuohy

Sports writer with The Age

Zach Tuohy: "I would much rather go into every game with the opposition thinking we are the underdog and thinking they should beat us." Photo: Pat Scala

Carlton defender Zach Tuohy believes the breakthrough win over the Western Bulldogs has set "set the template" for the season ahead, as the Blues look to build on this momentum against a West Coast side that has declared a loss "would be a kick in the guts".

While there have been dramas aplenty at Visy Park this year, that it is only round six means the Blues still have time to rebound. If the Blues can handle the visiting Eagles, who have struggled to kick goals in recent weeks, they will again be in touch with the top eight.

"There is going to be a lot of changes from now to the end [of the season]," Blues head of coaching Robert Wiley said on Friday.

"We have to keep believing in what we are doing and the players are right behind that belief. I have seen during the week they are a very committed group. Round six is a very small part of the season. There is no doubt we can turn it around."

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Comments made by Eagles' forward Jack Darling this week heading into the Etihad Stadium clash have not been lost on the Blues, with Darling insisting a loss to Mick Malthouse's men would be terrible.

"It would be a kick in the guts," Darling said. "It's the sort of game we should get the job done. Obviously, we're going to be a bit sour about the Port defeat and we'll come out really hard."

Tuohy and teammate Mitch Robinson, the latter returning this week from a knee injury, discussed the comments on a weekly club podcast, and weren't overly impressed.

"I would much rather go into every game with the opposition thinking we are the underdog and thinking they should beat us. I think that [Darling's comments] is a very dangerous position to put yourself in," Tuohy said. "That suits me down to the ground. I think it would suit the other players down to the ground.

"I think they were pretty cut up [about] losing to Port Adelaide. We will go into it with the same mindset we had for the Doggies. We believe that if we play like we did at the weekend, we are more than a match for anybody."

For the Blues to back Wiley's comments and transform their season, they will need to maintain the improved efficiency they displayed against the Bulldogs. They lifted their kicking efficiency from 14th through the opening four rounds to seventh, were the second most productive side in round five in goals per inside 50, and conceded the equal fewest turnovers.

Their willingness to compete was also shown in that they prevailed despite having serious injuries to Chris Judd, Tom Bell and chief tagger Ed Curnow.

"We seemed to kind of just scrap it out for longer and harder than we have done over the past couple of games. The consistency of effort was pretty evident. We have kind of set the template now of how we want to carry on," Tuohy said.

"It was really basic stuff we did well that we hadn't been doing well. We hit [targets with] a lot of our kicks. We haven't really changed anything at all. We seemed switched on."

That ruckman Robbie Warnock had arguably his best match for the club helped to offset the injuries.

Warnock had 38 hitouts and seven clearances against All-Australian ruckman Will Minson and now faces another enormous challenge against Eagles' duo Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui.

"Cox and Naitanui are arguably the best two ruckmen in the competition. Robbie realises his impact and his ability to win his fair share [of the hitouts]. We have some pretty good ground players, as they do," Wiley said.

"He [Warnock] was outstanding, particularly in the first half last week when the game was there to be won. We have full confidence that he can do that [again]."

Robinson said a confident Warnock had told his midfielders pre-game to "bring Soothers because he was going to put them [hitouts] down your throat".

The hardnut midfielder is one of five inclusions this week, joining fullback Michael Jamison, midfielder Brock McLean, Troy Menzel and speedy forward Jeff Garlett back in the side. Menzel on Friday replaced David Ellard (calf). The goalkicking Garlett has lifted his defensive intensity in the VFL in the past fortnight.

"It was pleasing to see Jeff in the second half last week really get back to the form that he showed last year. He knows that he has to work hard," Wiley said.

"He has a few tricks up his sleeve, but he has also got to come in and play what is expected from his other teammates and his coaches.

"Jeff is a very good defensive player, but he is also a very good offensive player. When you get that right balance, he becomes a very hard player to match up with."